This fast and easy pineapple curd recipe is a delicious filling for cakes, cupcakes, cream puffs, layered desserts, parfaits, and so much more. This creamy and buttery curd is also lovely when paired with other tropical flavors like coconut, mango, or lime.
If you are looking for the perfect cake recipe to accompany this pineapple curd, you must try my mild coconut cake.
Fast and Easy Pineapple Curd Recipe
If you love to create desserts, there’s nothing like experimenting with different flavor combinations. Recently, I was making a variety of mini desserts for a Hawaiian-themed wedding celebration. This pineapple curd recipe was born for one of my mini dessert combos (recipe coming soon, but I’ll give you a sneak peek below.
This is a recipe that can be made ahead of time, so that the day you choose to assemble your desserts, the assembly can go quickly.
What is in this easy pineapple curd recipe?
This pineapple curd is constructed similarly to other fruit curds. Most of the ingredients you probably have at home:
- A combination of eggs and egg yolks – This acts as a thickening agent, and it contributes to the creamy, rich, and smooth texture.
- Pineapple Juice from a Can – The juice provides the anticipated pineapple flavor, but it also adds some brightness and acidity to any dessert. Fresh pineapple juice WILL NOT work for this recipe.
- Sugar – Sugar, of course, provides a sweetness, but it also balances out the tart pineapple flavor.
- Cornstarch – This acts as a thickening agent and helps create stability in your curd.
- Butter – A European butter is preferred for both texture and the level of fat it adds, but American butter can be used as well. Butter contributes to the creamy and rich elements of this curd.
- Lemon Juice – A tad bit of acidity found in lemon juice helps brighten up the curd.
- Salt – A little salt enhances and balances the flavors of the pineapple curd.
Can this Curd be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes! Make this curd ahead of time. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Store in an airtight container like a mason jar or Tupperware. Bring to room temperature to enjoy. I love make-ahead recipes because I know how busy it can be the day you are entertaining.
This recipe makes 1 1/2 cups of curd.
Fast and Easy Pineapple Curd Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice, canned Fresh juice will not work.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter European butter preferred but not necessary
Instructions
- Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, pineapple juice, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a medium pot. Stir until cornstarch is dissolved.
- Bring the pot to medium-low, stirring constantly for about 6-9 minutes until thickened. It should have a pudding-like consistency.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter, stirring until completely melted and smooth.
- Place the curd in a fine-mesh sieve and work with a spatula to press the curd through the mesh to remove any lumps.
- Cover and cool in the refrigerator.
What Can I Use this Pineapple Curd For?
As promised, I’m going to give you a sneak peek of the mini-dessert I recently made with this pineapple curd, but are you looking for other ideas?
- cake filling
- cupcake filling
- cheesecake topping
- parfait layer
- filling for a cream puff or eclair
- inside a puff pastry
- donut filling
- topping for a thumbprint cookie
- spread for a crepe, pancake, or Dutch baby
- topping for pavlova
OK, so what did I do with mine? I do cakes as a hobby, but I make them quite a bit. There’s always the question of what to do with the tops of the cakes once they are leveled. Oh, sure, just nibbling it away is a definite option, and the one my children prefer.
However, recently, I’ve been using a cookie-cutter to cut the cake tops to the size of a mini-dessert serving dish like this or this (affiliate links). I layer these cake pieces on parchment paper in a ziplock bag and lay them flat in the freezer. They sit in the freezer until I’m ready to use them.
To complement the Hawaiian theme, I simply had to make a dessert that highlighted island flavors. The bottom of this mini dessert was cake tops cut from my white velvet cake that had been a part of my daughter’s graduation cake.
The next layer consisted of the creamy, delicious pineapple curd, which I was able to make a few days ahead of time.
The topping was a velvety coconut buttercream (recipe to come).
I hope you will enjoy making this pineapple curd for your next tropical dessert pursuits.
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